Effect
by AxelThePyromaniac
Summary: DEATH NOTE SPOILERS! Matsuda becomes a truly loving caretaker for Sayu after her father's death and her brother's death. He also becomes a friend for a grieving Sachiko. Matsuda gets sucked into a horrible case, but will it be an effect of Sayu and Sachiko's lives? From Duwee Davis II's plot bunny. Chapters will take a while to update. Chapter 4 in progress.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Effect**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. **

A/N: THANK YOU TO DUWEE DAVIS II FOR THE IDEA!

On that day, Soichiro told Matsuda something. Something nobody had really known about. It was as if Soichiro knew he would die. Nonetheless, even if Soichiro had not done the Shinigami eye deal, he would have died anyway…

Ryuk didn't care about humans the way Rem did. Rem was a sissy if he ever saw one. Feeling sorry for humans, killing them in the least painful way possible. Rem would be the type to fall in love with a human, the way Jealous had. Ryuk laughed in disbelief as he watched Soichiro, having already written the chief's name in his Death Note. It would be a shame, in the midst of all this, if nobody died today. The numbers above his head dwindled lower and lower as he said the words to Matsuda. The very words that he would take to heart, the words that would eventually change young Matsuda's life.

"Take care of Sayu."

Then, everything went black for Soichiro as the building exploded and the people escaped, firing from their guns freely. The bullets lodged themselves in Soichiro, slowly and painfully killing him.

Matsuda found himself on the ground, still confused about the words Chief Yagami had spoken. What did he mean? He would be able to take care of Sayu when they got back. A confused Matsuda was just about to ask the Chief himself when he saw him. While Matsuda had escaped the explosion without more than a few gashes, Soichiro had multiple gun wounds. He was severely injured, lying in a pool of his own blood.

Soichiro had died soon after that, on a cold November day. Matsuda understood. He had to take care of Sayu. Unfortunately, his job never really allowed him to. Of course, he went over to the Yagami household whenever he could, spending a rare free day over there. He spent his days and nights there, helping Sachiko in the kitchen and tending to Sayu. However, Sayu was sad as ever. The poor girl thought her father's death was her fault. Matsuda cried at night, crying for a husbandless Sachiko. Crying for a fatherless Sayu, a Sayu who wouldn't, who couldn't show emotion for herself.

"Sayu." Matsuda said, trying to get some kind of emotion out of the girl. She wasn't sure if she could anymore… The thought swirled around in her mind, getting lost before she could form the letters on her lips, just like everything else. Sayu's mind was a complex and convoluted thing, but Matsuda tried everything he could. It had been too long since he had heard that musical voice, or that bell-like laugh… He would keep trying until he got some sort of reaction, or at least until that horrible blank reaction was gone from her face…

The young detective continued these visits, always welcomed by Sachiko. He helped her everyway he could, making dinner with her, cleaning around the house, taking Sayu for her breath of fresh air every day. He tried as often as he could, but the visits were up to weeks apart, being worked so hard by Light and N. Nearly a year had passed since the Chief's death, and Kira was as active as ever. But he became more distracted, as his thoughts always wandered back to Sachiko and Sayu. Mother and daughter. Widow and mourner.

* * *

A/N: Like? Dislike? Should I continue this? Thanks for reading, please review. That's kinda how I get feedback, for the most part.


	2. Chapter 2: Starting Over

**Effect**

**Chapter 2: Starting Over**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata do. Oh, and I don't own the OC Matt Dave. Duwee Davis II does.**

* * *

Months passed since Soichiro's death, and Matsuda was now in a very difficult situation. Light was proven to be Kira, and N turned out to be a child detective, the successor of L, Near. The Task Force was in the warehouse they had arranged to meet N in, and when they had arrived, he wore a mask that made him look like L. After Light's accusations, saying that Near was unfit to wear his mask, Light was unaware that Near knew of his plan. He not only knew that Teru Mikami was outside the door, writing names in a fake Death Note, but Near knew Light was indeed Kira. Matsuda stood by, waiting with the other members of the task force.

Near stated nothing but the facts. Light was Kira, even a child would know that after listening to Near. Near even looked like a child, wearing his white pajamas.

"Near," Light said after a while, walking over to face one of the walls. "Here's some food for thought. That notebook you have, and the one that Aizawa brought from the Japanese Task Force Headquarters. Are they both real?"

Near sat down, crouched like the way L would sit, scrutinized these statements.

"If you truly want to defeat Kira, as well as test the notebook that Aizawa's carrying, I guess you're gonna have to write down either my name," Light said, shrugging his shoulders. "Or Mikami's." Near stared at him blankly, while Light opened up the secret piece of the Note in his watch. "It's the only way too see if it's real." The secret compartment opened, and Light drew a pen from his pocket. "OR FAKE!"

"He's hidden a piece of the notebook in his watch!" Rester yelled, and Matsuda reacted quickly. All of the rage, the betrayal, all the negative emotion that Light had uncovered by being a traitor to his own father and the Task Force was expressed as Matsuda reached for his gun holster and shot Light in blind fury.

"Graah!" Light yelled, grasping his hand. He panted as the blood dripped from his hand, then laughed slightly. "MATSUDA! YOU IDIOT!" Light yelled, his head turned up at the sky. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SHOOTING AT! DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"

Matsuda readied his gun once again, shakily aiming at Light. "What was it all for then? W-what about your dad, what the hell did he die for?!" his voice was a bit shaky; he was trying to take all of this in.

"My dad," Light said, letting loose a deranged sort of chuckle. "You mean Soichiro Yagami. That's right Matsuda, in this world all those earnest people like him who fight for justice always lose! You want a world like that where people like him are always made to lose? I know you understand, so kill the others! SHOOT THEM!"

Light stood there, glaring at Matsuda, whose eyes began to run with hot tears of rage.

"You led your own father to his death, and now that he's gone you call him a fool?!" Matsuda yelled, still pointing his gun at Light. Light's blood dripped onto the floor at a steady rate, the time between the drops being as consistent as the ticks on a clock. Drip, drip, drip. Then, the deranged young man brought his finger to the piece of note, trying to scribble down the rest of Near's name in his own blood.

"His blood!" Someone yelled, but Matsuda had already reacted once again. He shot Light again, four more times.

"AAAAH!" Light yelled, falling into a puddle.

"I'll kill him. I'LL KILL HIM!" Matsuda said, walking to the puddle Light had fallen in. He readied the gun yet again and aimed for Light's head. "HE HAS TO DIE!" he yelled, firing the shot.

Everything went silent for a while. Light eyes widened, staring at the hole in the ground where Matsuda's bullet hit.

"…" Matsuda gasped for air, realizing what he'd almost done, thankful to Aizawa, Mogi and Ide for pulling him back. Mikami sat by staring at the man who he believed was god.

"…Damn you, what the hell is this?" Light said, trying to stand and failing. Mikami's face filled with disbelief as he came to the realization he'd been tricked, stupid enough to be sucked in to a man claiming to be god's selfish plans. "…Mikami! What are you waiting for?! …Write down their names! Write 'em down! AAAACK! Kill them now!" Light collapsed in a heap of guttural noises and pained sounds. Mikami shuddered.

"With a fake notebook?" Mikami said, he too collapsing in a heap.

"It's finally over, isn't it?" Rester said, turning to Near.

"Yes." Near said, watching over the event.

"Where are you, Misa?" Light gasped.

"She's not here." Aizawa said.

"Where's Takada?!"

"Dead." Aizawa said.

Light suddenly turned to Ryuk, seeing him just floating there, observing the scene as Near had. "Ryuk! You can kill them off!"

"Light-kun," Ryuk said, grabbing his Death Note from its holder. "If you're relying on me, then you're hopeless. Remember how I said I'd be the one writing your name in my Note? Well, I decided that if you went to jail, you couldn't be Kira anymore. Moreover, since Nate over there will probably burn the Notes, I won't have any more fun with you anymore. With you dead, I can go back to the Shinigami realm and waste away for a few hundred more years. Good bye, Light-kun." The Shinigami grabbed his pencil and began writing down Light's name.

"Stop him!" Someone said, and bullets phased through Ryuk, unable to do anything.

"I'm a Shinigami." Ryuk said, putting the Note back in its holder and waiting.

"NO! I-I… I don't want to… to die…" Light said, realizing his fate. How ironic, the tool he had used to "Change the world" was being used to end his reign. "I… I don't want to… die, please, Ryuk, don't!"

"I can't change what I've written." Ryuk said, smiling malevolently.

"I don't want to-" Light began, but he was cut off by his death.

* * *

Months later, Matsuda sat in his car, on lunch break with his partner, Matt Dave. They were debating over where to go for lunch, Dave wanting to go to a popular chicken-restaurant and Matsuda wanting to go to a sandwich shop. Matt Dave had recently come to Japan, having worked for the FBI for so long he decided that some sort of transfer was necessary. Matsuda adapted quickly to this change, and the two grew together slowly, but surely. When the two were assigned as partners, Matsuda was unsure, Dave being an immigrant and all. Especially since he was from America. Matsuda actually hated the pairing initially, but once he saw that Dave was dedicated to his job and actually a decent person, he lightened up a bit.

"Well, that chicken place is really unhealthy for you, y'know..." Matsuda said, unsure of how else to argue his point. This was true, but Matsuda knew it wasn't a very strong argument. Usually, when Dave wanted something, he got it.

"Honestly? I didn't realize that where we ate was so important. You're so controlling sometimes." Dave said, turning on the car.

The drive to the restaurant was full of more useless arguments, and when Dave said there was a chicken sandwich at the restaurant, Matsuda gave up. He was still a bit incensed, but less so. When they left from the chicken restaurant, they came back to headquarters, where Mogi, Ide, and Aizawa were waiting. Matsuda and Dave kept their distance with each other, their little lunch problem ringing in their minds.

"Has anything new come up?" Dave said, taking his place behind a desk.

"No, just the typical cases. Oh wait," Mogi said, looking through the collection of papers on his desk. "There have been a string of serial killings. The victims are mainly teachers, one being a... Masashi Fukuhara. A college professor, found dead in his regular lecture hall!"

"Masashi Fukuhara?" Matsuda said, having heard the name somewhere before. "Could I see that case file?" Matuda walked over to Mogi and grabbed the file, then started thumbing through the papers. As it turned out, he was one of Sayu's professors, from way back when she was able to attend lectures. Matsuda knew this only because one day, when he and Sachiko were cleaning out the attic, they came across a box of Sayu and Light's old school progress reports.

"Other than that," Aizawa said. "There's not really anything new, we're still after the lead about those serial arson cases."

"I'll take over that for now, the one I was following went cold." Dave said, starting up his computer.

"Thanks. Excuse me, Matsuda." Aizawa said.

"Hm?" Matsuda responded, looking up from the file.

"You want to work on that case? The rest of us have our hands tied." Aizawa said, running a hand through his small afro of hair.

"I suppose I'll take over."

"Thank you."

Matsuda walked to his desk and turned on the desktop computer. Once it booted up, he accessed the NPA files and found the case, searching through the lists of potential suspects and evidences. Masashi hadn't been the only person found dead at his desk. Two other teachers, one being a primary school teacher, the second being a secondary school teacher, were also found dead on their desks. All of the murders were committed on Thursdays, and there was a specific order to the killings. The primary school teacher had gone first, the secondary second, and so on. On the corpses, there was no obvious cause of death, but an autopsy revealed that they had each died of heart attacks.

As soon as Matsuda had gathered all the information, he couldn't help but relate these murders to the Kira killings. But the thing that set them apart from everything else was the fact that these people did no crime in their lifetimes. Matsuda looked back and back, over and over, but nothing ever came up. These teachers were kind of heart, why would anyone want to kill them? Searching his brain for things that could tie the deaths together, he came across the realization that the victims were all what the average human would consider elderly. Yes, they were all senior citizens, and they all had some sort of significant health problem, but none of them had heart problems. One had pancreatic cancer, one had skin cancer, and once had diabetes and arthritis. According to loved ones and family, these issues caused discomfort in daily life, to the point where they even wanted to die. So, they question that still stood was: what or who caused these deadly heart attacks?

When the work day had concluded, Matsuda got into his car and sat in it, thinking about the day's events. He'd mostly just worked on the case, occasionally getting up for a cup of coffee. The people working for homicide hadn't discovered any new leads, and there was nothing much to be done. The way things looked now, one would say that they were just unluckily stricken down by a needy shinigami. But Matsuda knew better. As he sat in his car, he pondered the existence of another Kira...

"Nah..." he said aloud as he keyed the ignition. Perhaps there was some sort of poison that caused a heart attack? Or maybe these were natural, and massively coincidental? Then, he thought about something his Criminology professor had once said. "In the world of Criminal justice, there are no coincidences."

Everything in the Criminology world had a cause. And every cause had an effect.

* * *

"Well, that should do it for today. Those were all of the suffering elderly teachers I could find for today. We'll work some more tomorrow, won't we?" A voice said, closing its Death Note.

"You bet." said the raspy voice of another, someone who wasn't human... But a Shinigami.

A/N: Likes? Dislikes? You see where I'm going with this? If you do, or even if you don't feel free to make predictions. Also, feel free to review. They make me happy! :D


	3. Chapter 3: Decisions, Decisions

**Chapter 3:**

**Decisions, Decisions**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. It belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.**

"Ugh… And I thought all of these supernatural killings were over…" Matsuda said as he hit his head against the steering wheel, causing the horn to sound. "Gaah!" he exclaimed, springing up at the sound. He shook his head, laughing. "I must be losing my mind." Matsuda started up his car and began the long drive to his apartment. Pondering the possibility of yet another Kira, he realized that not only were the ways of death similar, but if these deaths were due to another Kira, the pattern was linear as well. All of the victims were older people with health problems. Perhaps this killer thought he was doing a service to them by deciding when it would be their time. Perhaps this killer was another Light Yagami, only without the suffering.

Matsuda pulled up to his apartment complex and shook his head. There was definitely something fishy going on about these killings. How many elderly citizens died because of this killer? He would have to look into that. In addition, Matsuda was almost positive the killer, if there was one and these weren't just a string of deaths from natural causes, was from Tokyo. After all, teachers were not generally placed all over the news. The killer had to know the teachers somehow, there had to be a connection either as a student or a parent of a student.

That is, Matsuda thought, unless these are not the only elderly killings. There could very well be many more. Sighing, Matsuda walked up the stairs to his door and grabbed his keys from his pocket. Another Kira was the last thing Japan needed.

Matsuda let himself in the door and tried to shove the thoughts out of his mind as he removed his shoes and put on his slippers. He moved on autopilot, flipping on the television and powering up the computer, he wanted to confirm his suspicions before he let them completely invade his mind. He sat down on the couch to watch the news only to see a few obituary reports. Sighing, he removed a ready meal from the freezer and prepared it, deciding to eat his meal in front of the computer. This case was going to be the death of him.

* * *

"Well, Midora," a man's voice said, following the clacking of a keyboard. "According to my medical records, there are about four senior citizens that are bed-ridden and suffering. Unfortunately, nothing significant ties them together like the others." The man sighed after trailing off. He shrugged, "Oh well. These poor humans deserve to be put out of their misery. I'll make sure to visit their rooms as I'm making my rounds." he finished, standing up from his computer and stretching.

"If you say so…" Midora said, dragging her tail across the floor as she walked around the house. Midora grabbed a banana from the counter and peeled it, walking back to the living room. Bananas were one thing good about the human world. After she was done, she threw the peel on the floor next to the man.

"Midora!" The man shouted, slipping on the peel. Midora chuckled as he floundered, before sprouting scaly wings and flying off to somewhere else.

"Ryuk was right. Humans… Are interesting." Midora said, flapping far from the city lights.

* * *

"Again and again!" Matsuda yelled in frustration. He stood up and grabbed the sides of his head. Accessing the police database had led him exactly where he wanted it to and the results were too overwhelming for his tastes. According to the database, there were several cases of elderly deaths all over Japan. All of the elderly in question either had a recurring health problem causing immense discomfort and suffering, or an injury causing the same problem, the two main necessities of the murders. The sheer number of deaths was astonishing, nearing the hundreds. How could anyone just kill off the elderly like that?

"This is just so… messed up." Matsuda groaned, taking out his phone and calling Dave. He answered in three rings, despite the fact it was very late at night. "Dave," Matsuda ground out, gritting his teeth together. "I fear we may have another Kira on our hands." Dave knew the basics of the Kira case, but not as much as the rest of the Task Force knew. "I need you to call the rest of the people who used to be in the Task Force. Aizawa, Ide, Mogi. Tell them what I have told you. I should have an extended case file put together by tomorrow." Matsuda finished curtly and the clicked in phone shut in one swift movement.

He spent the rest of his night picking through death certificates and hospital records, taking note of all the elderly and suffering patients there to see if they would become victims. Matsuda wasn't worried about sleep; he had the next day off and work to do.

He froze half way through a document; he was supposed to go to the Yagami household on his next day off. How would he explain this to Mrs. Yagami? Shoving the thought out of his mind, he focused on the task at hand. This case was more important. Or was it? Shoving that thought out of his mind at well, he hammered his fingers across the keyboard and searched for more evidence. He had to focus on the matter at hand before things got any more out of control.

* * *

"Hello, Ms. Haninozuke." Dr. Nagaoka said with a smile. "How is your heart surgery treating you?" The elderly woman forced a smile and then gave up the façade.

"Not very well, I'm afraid… The pain is too much to bear, at times…" she replied, grimacing.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Here, I will be back. I'm going to go talk to your nurse to discuss your medicine plan, alright?" Dr. Nagaoka said, leaving the room. He held his clipboard in front of him and pulled it back to his chest, pulling a pen out of his pocket. "You'll be put out of your suffering now, my dear." he muttered, scribbling Ms. Haninozuke's name on the paper, making sure to add the words "painless death" and waited.

"Dr. Nagaoka!" a nurse yelled. The doctor put on a blank face and ran to the nurse.

"Yes?" he asked, walking in to Ms. Haninozuke's room. He already knew what was going on before he heard the monitor flat line.

"Hurry!" the nurse pleaded, running to the doctor.

"Oh, dear…" he said, frowning as he put his head down."I was afraid this might happen. There's nothing we can do. There is no pulse, not even a trace." The doctor unplugged the machines and placed a sheet over the woman's dead, limp body and wheeled the bed into the morgue. "May your troubles end." he whispered, leaving the room and returning to his rounds. He walked around the hospital after consulting his clipboard.

"Hello, Mr. Honda. How are you feeling?" he asked, tapping his clipboard with his pen.

"Not very well, I fear. My heart has always been weak, but I've said my goodbyes to my family. I wish to go now." he said.

"Let me check your IV drip." Dr. Nagaoka said, hooking up a tube to a bag on the stand. Mr. Honda breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. The doctor left the room, scribbling another name on his clipboard. "May your troubles end." And the heart monitor flat lined.

* * *

A pre-set tune went off and Matsuda's head popped up, imprints from his computer keyboard on his face. "Matsuda," he answered, yawning. "Yes?" he stood up, eyes wide. "I'll be right over." Closing his phone, he clicked the print button on his computer as he readied himself for the impending day. It would definitely be an eventful day, if nothing else. He showered and dressed quickly, and grabbed the stack of papers he had gathered the day before. If this didn't help prove this was another Kira, nothing else would. The killings were so organized, so much like the others and yet, different in their own way. The one thing that stayed the same was the heart attacks. This killer seemed almost oblivious to the fact this had all been done before. Another slew of systematic killings would definitely raise some suspicions. Yes, this killer was either an idiot, or overconfident. And both of those qualities were equally dangerous.

Gathering up the papers in his hands, he walked out to his car, hair still dripping from his shower. It was a nice spring day, a bit chilly, but the air was crisp. He drove to the Yagami household and knocked on the door. The cool spring air caused him to shiver. What a fool he was for walking out of the house with wet hair. Waiting until Mrs. Yagami opened the door, he pulled his suit jacket closer around him. The door opened, Mrs. Yagami smiling widely. "Come in, dear." stepping back to allow him to pass.

"Thank you, Mrs. Yagami." Matsuda nodding his head. After removing his shoes, he put on a pair of slippers and walked into the house, holding his briefcase.

"Sayu, Matsuda's here." Sachiko said, walking into the main room.

"Here, here." she said, turning her head. Smiling at her, Matsuda walked over and held out his hand. Sayu slapped it and when Matsuda moved his hand away, he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Her head remained turned as Matsuda walked over to the other side of her, sitting with Sachiko.

"Well, I never was very good at being subtle, I'm afraid," Matsuda said, running a hand through his hair nervously, "so I'll just get right to the point."

"Of course." Sachiko replied, her smile fading just a bit.

"Why did you need to see me? Not that I don't enjoy your company, but it's never just a social call." Matsuda asked, looking into Sachiko's eyes.

"I know this... It's just..." she started to say, her words trembling. Tears gathered in her eyes as she continued speaking. "The stress from taking care of Sayu and just the death of," she trailed off as the tears flowed from her eyes in a steady stream. "L-Light and Soichiro... They've taken their toll on me."

* * *

Dr. Nagaoka sighed as he talked to a nurse.

"I just feel awful, those two poor elderly patients." the nurse, Ayu Fujita said with a frown. "Whenever something like that happens, I just feel like I'm not doing my job correctly." she looked at the doctor hoping he'd have an answer.

"Oh, Ms. Fujita. Of course you're doing your job correctly. Life is something that always escapes mankind's grasp." he said, clenching his fist. "We help prolong life for as long as we can, but sometimes," he flattened his palm, "it just escapes from our clutches." He closed his fist once again. "I'm afraid I must go now. Please, don't let this weigh on your mind." he sighed, walking out of the hospital. "It's always a great feeling, knowing that I've helped end someone's suffering." he muttered quietly to himself as he opened up his car and got in. He smiled as he drove home that night, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. "The power of god, right in my hands!" he said dreamily. But he couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

"What do you mean, they've taken their toll on you?" Matsuda asked, eyes wide. Sachiko wiped at her eyes and Matsuda stood up to go get a box of tissues from the closet. As he walked past, Sayu still in the awkward position he had left her in, said something.

"You." she said, closing her eyes.

When Matsuda returned with the box of tissues, Sachiko nodded in thanks.

"Thank you," her voice was still thick with tears as she dabbed at her eyes, "it's just that I don't know if I am even able to take care of my own daughter. It's the worst feeling in the world." she blew her nose and grabbed more tissues from the box.

"Mrs. Yagami. You must stay strong," he responded, gently putting his hand over hers, "Sayu needs you. Even if she can't say it all the time anymore, she loves you. I know it."

"Loves you." Sayu said, moving her hand up and down. Sachiko wept more, wept for the life she missed, wept for the daughter she missed. In that moment, all she could do was weep for everything she had lost.

A/N: Like? Dislike? Thanks to Ashiieee and Odat for beta-ing. Oh, and Duwee Davis II of course, for everything.


	4. Chapter 4: Expanding The Horizon

**Effect**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. But I kinda own my version of C-Kira. I think. Oh, and the OC Matt Dave belongs to Duwee Davis II.**

Dr. Nagaoka was a simple man. Or rather, he once was, until his wife divorced him; and before his son, Takashi, began hating him. He wished he could be a simple man as he walked through his home that was much too large for one person. His footsteps echoed through the house, reminding him of how empty his life truly was. At first, his nights were full of tears and regret, full of what ifs and whys. They were still full of what ifs and whys, and his nights were never full of sleep as they should be. He'd become an insomniac, and it was truly a wonder how he could properly function on so little sleep.

Today, he paced the halls with purpose, his echoing footsteps reminding him of the fact he was the only one with this god-like power. He was free to kill off anyone he liked, yet he chose to put his elderly patients out of their suffering. If not for the elderly, all future generations descending from them would not have as many rights and freedoms as they did now. After all of their troubles, the least they deserved was a painless death.

Or at least, that's what Benjiro Nagaoka thought. In his mind, he was doing a great and fantastic right. He thought what he did would help everyone in the world. Everyone in Japan, at the very least. He walked over to the kitchen, sliding his hand across the railing as he descended the stairs from his room. Dust particles gathered on his fingers as he ran his hands across them, but he took no notice. He wasn't the type of man to dust much. Benjiro sat in his kitchen chair, pondering the things he'd done and how he'd come across the magic killing notebook he'd come to call his own.

It hadn't been very long ago at all, only last month. Benjiro had just been to the grocery store, picking up a few things he needed for himself, and to take up the store's offer on discounted bananas. As he walked back toward his home with a bag in each hand, he stepped upon something. Being the kind of man to pick up litter wherever he could find it, he took one bag from his hand and put it in the other, revealing a free hand to pick up the object he'd stepped on.

"Hm... A book of sorts..."

Little did he know, that would be the day that would curse him forever.

* * *

"Mrs. Yagami." Matsuda said firmly, keeping her hand in his, "I can't say it'll be alright. I can't predict the future. But I do know that you can't give up. Sayu needs you. You're all she has left." Tears came to Matsuda's eyes as he realized the words he was saying. Sayu... Such a sweet and innocent girl...

"I... know... but it's just so hard..." Sachiko muttered, dabbing at her eyes with her tissue. "Even with you here, the enormous help you've been. Honestly, I would be in shambles if I didn't have you, Matsuda..."

Matsuda ran a hand through his hair as a slight smile played at his lips. Tears dribbled from his chin as he raised a sleeve to clear them away.

"I'm here for both of you, and you know that. I've grown quite fond of you two, you know. I'm not sure I could abandon you even if I tried."

Sachiko laughed slightly, an empty, hollow sound.

"Nguh!"

Sayu jumped up from her wheelchair and ran at Matsuda, stopping suddenly and running to the kitchen.

"Sayu..." Sachiko sighed. "It's probably time you left, Matsuda. Sayu needs me now."

"Are you sure? I can stay a bit long-" Matsuda began, and was once again cut off by his phone. "Maybe not..." he muttered as he opened it and pressed it to his ear. "Matsuda."

"Headquarters, now." The voice was Dave, and it sounded extremely urgent. The line went dead. The man sighed slightly, feeling a bit uneasy.

"It turns out I cannot stay after all... Well, I shall return soon, Mrs. Yagami. Hopefully. Please, be careful."

"Goodbye, Matsuda. Thank you." Sachiko breathed out as she hugged him.

"It's no problem, really. Now, I must go. I'll be back the next time I get some time to spare!"

With that, the detective went to the door, put his shoes on and ran out to his car.

* * *

Benjiro grinned, smiling at the wonderful memory. He rests his elbows on the table, holding his head in his hands.

"What exactly are you doing, then?"

He didn't even have to turn around to know whose voice that was.

"What exactly do you gather I'm doing, Midora?"

The Shinigami slither-walked across the floor; to the counter, grabbing another banana.

"Hm... Thinking, maybe."

"You needn't even ask."

"Well, you are more predictable that I thought you'd be."

"Am I now?" Benjiro stood at this, walking in the living room and pausing for a second to remember what was once so admirable about it. He never went in as often anymore, the memories of family and love much too painful to endure. Pain heavy in his heart, he clutched his chest and went back the way he'd originally come, back up the stairs. His slippers nearly fell off, but he managed to make it up without looking directly at his wife's old room or his son's old room. His study doubled as a bedroom. As soon as he entered, he felt disgusted with himself. Gods don't feel pain.

When one first enters the doctor's study, the first thing they would notice would probably be the multiple figurines scattered about the room. They were a hobby of Benjiro's one he'd always had an interest in but one he'd recently done more and more often. When he wasn't at work or "assisting" the elderly, he preferred to spend his time painting the small people. No one knew this about him except Midora.

In fact, when she first possessed him, he had attempted to protect himself with the sword of a figurine he kept near his computer. Naturally, the Shinigami found this quite amusing, considering that wouldn't kill her, or even injure her in the least. Now, she was actually quite interested in the small people, but not interested enough to watch the extremely slow process that went into creating the things. Truth be told, he wished that she would stay there. He at least wanted someone to know what he was doing. It wasn't a big secret or anything like that; he just had nobody to tell.

To fill the hole in his heart, he decided to do a good deed and end all the elderly he kept on his list for times like these. He had spent many hours compiling the list, it being one of his major concerns since the day he had decided to use the notebook for good. The list was pretty long, about thirty patients long, and writing down all the names one after another would help him clear his mind. Unfortunately, he was also the type of man to take action and think later. It also didn't help that the power was going to his head, and he didn't realize that he could very well get caught for doing something so major without thinking.

When this thought did occur to him however, he replied to his thought with a simple "I doubt anyone can track someone with the power of god."

If only he knew that someone already had.

* * *

By the time Matsuda arrived at headquarters, the place was an absolute madhouse. Never in Matsuda's dreams could he ever picture a team of educated men running around as if they had no sense. He focused on Dave, who ran from computer to filing cabinet, over and over, bumping into Mogi, Ide and Aizawa, who were doing the same thing.

"What's going on here?" Matsuda demanded, slamming his fist on the desk.

"Thirty seniors, dead, just like that!" Dave snapped his fingers to make a point.

The youngest detective froze.

"Do you think this is the work of whatever caused those other elderly deaths?"

Dave nodded furiously.

"It must be, all died of heart attacks."

Matsuda turned to Mogi, genuine terror in his eyes.

"Mogi... Do you think-"

"Yes, Matsuda. I'm sure of it."

"Very well; then. Call the current L. We've got another Kira on our hands."

* * *

"Ah..." The dark blue desk chair creaked slightly and he put his hands behind his head. Benjiro smiled brightly, returning to his former self as the hole in his heart filled with the satisfaction that came with sending another suffering elder out of this world. Midora smiled as well, enjoying herself thoroughly. Ryuk had been right, humans were interesting... But she did regret how short her stay would be. Midora was a Shinigami and she knew that if Benjiro kept killing at the rate he was going no, he was sure to get caught. Benjiro, however, believed that nobody could ever catch him.

"Such a nice feeling, isn't it?" Midora slithered into the room, smile still on her face.

Benjiro snorted. He didn't need to answer, Midora already knew the answer to that question.

A clear-cut, unmistakable yes.

* * *

"I've already solved this case, for the most part, anyway." the synthetic voice declared, the one Matsuda knew belonged to none other than Near.

"Ide?" Dave asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I told you he was good." Matsuda muttered under his breath.

"Yes. The only person who could have this many connections is a doctor. Most of the elderly, about 78%, came from the same hospital. Therefore, it must be someone who has direct access to the patients or their records. There are only nineteen people with that kind of connection. Solving the case would be pretty simple from there, but that isn't necessary."

"What do you mean, L?" Dave's voice inquired, confused.

"This Kira is a cheap Kira, a fake Kira. He is nowhere near as clever as Light, and is nothing more than a coward. Bring that fact to the public's attention, and you shall see how fast these killings stop."

* * *

"Midora?"

"Yes?"

"Do you recall when you said I was becoming predictable?" Benjiro asked, an intention -a new idea- fresh in his mind.

"Of course I do. A Shinigami rarely forgets."

The doctor became distracted.

"Really?"

"Yes, we have superior memories, but since we've been around for so long, our minds become full of the nothingness that is our world."

"So, something like coming into the human world would remain in your mind for a long time?"

Midora nodded.

"Yes. A Shinigami I know remembers every detail of the human world, right down to its apples."

"Well, here's something I won't let you forget. I've decided something." As he spoke, Dr. Nagaoka clutched the Death Note in his hands. "Why should I limit the relief to the elderly? If people are suffering, and they will for the rest of their lives, they deserve to have an end to their suffering, as well."

"Hm. You're saying you'll kill off anyone now?"

"No, not at all! Listen to me, you ignorant Shinigami. If people will be suffering for the rest of their lives, what kind of life is that? No one deserves the awful suffering that comes with incurable disease. I can help anyone who needs it. I am... a higher power."

"When will you start your new list?"

Benjiro sneered.

"I already have."

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry this took so long, and it isn't even that good XD. I've been grounded, and then my computer broke, and then... (insert excuse here). Thank you for reading, please review! Thank you to MidnightCurls for betaing!**


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